


Scott McCall: A (brief, sloppy) character study.

by middlecyclone



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-12
Updated: 2012-11-12
Packaged: 2017-11-18 12:59:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/561314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/middlecyclone/pseuds/middlecyclone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone thinks Scott is so dumb he can barely tie his shoes. Scott knows they do, he can see it in the way they look at him, but it isn't true. He's never been a genius, but he's not an idiot either; it's just that nobody ever believes him when he says that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scott McCall: A (brief, sloppy) character study.

Everybody thinks Scott is stupid. He knows, he can see it in his teachers eyes when they hand him failing grade after failing grade, can see it in the way Coach Finstock benches him for his dwindling GPA, can see it when Stiles winces at his chemistry tests and when Allison's mouth twists at the edges trying to teach him algebra and when his mom sighs deep and long and sad at the kitchen table reading his report card.

But here's the thing: Scott isn't stupid.

School never came easy for him, not when he was eight and not now, but just because he isn't like Stiles or Lydia or Allison doesn't mean he isn't capable; just because he isn't book smart doesn't mean he's dumb. He's always wanted to be a vet, ever since he can remember, and nobody but his mom ever though he could do it. But ever since seventh grade, when he realized that his mediocre grades weren't going to cut it, he's spent hours every night slogging through homework, studying and working and trying to get his scores up. When he was thirteen, he started volunteering at the animal shelter, not only because he loved the work, but also because he knew he had to boost his transcripts if he wanted any chance at all of going to a good school. When he was fourteen, he joined the lacrosse team despite his asthma, well aware that he needed extracurriculars in addition to high SAT scores and perfect grades. Scott worked harder than anyone else he knew, except Jackson, the difference is that Scott worked towards a concrete goal and Jackson worked hard out of some weird twisted self-loathing.

And then Stiles dragged him out of his room one night to go look for a dead body, where he'd been cramming for a chemistry test the next morning, and then Scott got bitten by a werewolf.

All of a sudden instead of trying to learn trigonometry, he has to learn how to control himself so he doesn't rip out his girlfriends throat; he can't just read his history textbook, he has to spend his nights fighting for his life. He has to protect his mom, protect Allison, protect Stiles. Is it any wonder his grades keep dropping?

And they do keep dropping. It's hard to take a test when you can hear girls across the school gossiping about you in the bathroom; it's impossible to study when you have to spend your nights keeping evil alpha werewolves from ripping your throat out; chemistry's not your first priority when your girlfriend is on a murderous rampage across town trying to avenge the death of her mother, which she blames you for, incidentally.

The worst part isn't all that, though; Scott has to prioritize the present over the future, but every night he spends trapped in the police station with a murderous classmate or kidnapping a giant lizard monster with a police van or sitting in the sheriff's office having a restraining order filed against him is one huge step farther from his dreams.

Scott wanted the werewolf cure so badly because he'd finally thought he had a shot at a decent future, despite everything his father had ever told him, and then the bite came and took all that away. His whole future had stretched out in front of him, and the road was difficult and long but achievable, possible, and now it's just gone. All Scott can see for himself now is a bleak future, trapped in Beacon Hills, working menial jobs for Deaton and hanging around in the woods with Derek and the pack, always worrying about his mom, always waiting for the fight he won't get back up from, knowing it'll destroy her when that day does come.

Scott isn't selfish. And Scott isn't stupid. It's just that nobody listens when he tries to tell them why not.


End file.
